Kirby Fighters 2

Kirby Fighters 2 is built on a simple but surprisingly addictive premise: up to four copies of Kirby face off in enclosed arenas, each armed with a different ability inhaled from enemies across the series. Sword, hammer, fire, ice, or even a plain kitchen ladle - it's precisely the combination of ability and battlefield that determines how quickly and unpredictably a fight unfolds. The game is a direct sequel to the eShop title Kirby Fighters Deluxe for Nintendo 3DS, which itself grew out of an expanded fighting mode from Kirby Triple Deluxe, and it expands on that concept with new characters, new arenas, and full online multiplayer. Instead of a single available ability like in its 3DS predecessor, the second entry offers a much wider selection, so two seemingly identical Kirby characters in an arena can behave completely differently depending on the chosen combination of attacks.

On Switch, the game was released in 2020 purely digitally through the Nintendo eShop, with no boxed version, and it targets quick, repeatable matches rather than a long story. Besides player-versus-player battles, it also offers a co-op mode in which teams of Kirbys face off against a series of bosses taken from the main entries of the series - ideal for players who want to cooperate instead of destroying each other. The controls stay true to classic Kirby games: easy to learn, but with an interesting depth in how the individual abilities react to different environments and opponents. Local and online multiplayer make the game an ideal short-form multiplayer diversion on a single console or over the network, without needing to buy extra controllers. Gradually unlocking further abilities and arenas also gives the game a certain motivation to keep playing, even though at its core it's a purely competitive affair without a classic story mode.

Why play it: Kirby Fighters 2 will delight anyone who wants an undemanding but fun brawler for a few quick rounds with a sibling or friends - just turn on the Switch, pick an ability, and it doesn't matter whether a complete newcomer or a seasoned series veteran is playing.